Key Features
- 12MP full-frame EXMOR CMOS sensor
- Focuses at light levels to -4EV
- 1080 footage at up to 50Mbps (XAVC S)
- Extensive movie-focused capture options: S-Log2, Black Level, time code
- Video ISO Range 100 - 409,600
- Uncompressed 4:2:2 Full HD and 4K video output over HDMI
- 2.36M dot OLED viewfinder
- Mic and headphone sockets
- 720/120p option for slow-mo capture
- Wi-Fi with NFC
Description
The first thing you need to know about the a7S is that it can record 1080p footage internally or be used to output 4K video to an external recorder. The internal 1080p footage is recorded using the XAVC S format, a more consumer-friendly version of Sony's XAVC system. This is the first of the company's cameras to use the format, which frees the camera from the bitrate restrictions of the AVCHD standard.
However, while the a7S's body exactly resembles its original 24 and 36MP sister models, the a7 and a7R (the a7 II's design is slightly different), it includes a whole raft of features and tools to support the videographer. These include the low contrast S-Log2 tone curve that allows more of the camera's dynamic range to be fitted into its video files and the option to record time code. Photographers more interested in stills may wish to note that most of these video features have subsequently been included in the newer a7 II, which also features revised ergonomics and in-body image stabilization.
